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Chapter 76. The Black Flame Dragon Who Leaps over the Trial (4)
When the feast began, all the villagers who had been dragged to Twin Curtain Stronghold were mobilized.
Regardless of whether they were men or women, every one of those who had been dragged here was skin and bones, and not one of them was without wounds or bruises on their body.
Our party forgot that we were surrounded by the bandits of Twin Curtain Stronghold and ground our teeth at the sight.
“Ahem.”
“Cough.”
Amid that, some of Bang Du-chil’s subordinates began turning deathly pale.
Exposed to sudden killing intent, their entire bodies had stiffened.
The source was none other than Dong-ryong.
They seemed unable to believe that killing intent like that could be flowing from a child whose face had not even fully lost its youthful softness.
I approached Dong-ryong and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“It is all right. We will save them.”
“……Ah, yes. Of course. I believe you, Eldest Senior Brother.”
Dong-ryong did not seem to even know that he had been emitting such thick killing intent.
“…….”
Geum-pyo, who knew about Dong-ryong’s Heavenly Killing Star, was looking at me with worried eyes.
-It is all right. His character is upright, and his heart is gentle, so as long as the killing star does not steal away his awareness, there will be no problem. Later, once his achievement in the Taeul True Scripture grows higher, he will no longer become intoxicated by the killing star either.
When I reminded him again of what I had told him several nights ago, Geum-pyo nodded, though unease still remained in his eyes.
***
When as many as five hundred people rushed in all at once to prepare the food, the feast preparations ended quickly.
The bandits, with steaming food in front of them, paid no attention to the starving villagers and were absorbed in eating and drinking among themselves.
“You may take them as promised.”
At One-Eyed Blood Axe’s words, the expressions of the villagers gathered in one place turned blank.
“Then I hope we can continue to have good dealings in the future as well.”
When I offered a clasped hands greeting, One-Eyed Blood Axe and Golden-Faced Buddha Saber, who were busy eating and talking as if they no longer had any interest, did not pay further attention.
“Everyone, you may return to the village with us.”
“……Pardon? What in the world does that……”
Even after I spoke, the villagers did not easily move their feet and watched the reactions of One-Eyed Blood Axe and Golden-Faced Buddha Saber.
“The discussion is already finished. Please return home with us.”
“…….”
Though their eyes shook violently at my words, the roughly five hundred villagers watched One-Eyed Blood Axe and Golden-Faced Buddha Saber from beginning to end.
The two men, who had been talking loudly for quite a while, looked at the villagers, let out faint sneers, and waved their hands as if annoyed.
Only then did people begin collapsing to the ground one by one, as if the strength had left their legs.
“Sniff, are we finally going back?”
“Thank you. Martial Warrior! Thank you.”
“I will never forget this grace for the rest of my life.”
The villagers sat down before us and shed tears.
And behind them, I could see Golden-Faced Buddha Saber and One-Eyed Blood Axe laughing at those villagers.
Among the bandits enjoying the feast, there were also many who were sneering as if they had some sinister thought in mind.
“How about giving thanks after you return home? Do you not want to leave this place as soon as possible?”
At my words, the people who had collapsed weakly to the ground began moving quickly all at once, as if they did not want to remain here for even a moment longer.
After leading the villagers down, I spoke to Bang Du-chil at the place where the carts had been gathered.
“Great Hero Bang, please go down that path over there. I will return by the road we came from.”
“…….”
Bang Du-chil did not answer and merely frowned.
In the end, Baek So-ryeong, who had been watching from the side, stepped in.
“Young Master Jin, what do you mean by that?”
“There is only one road on Mount Tianmu. If the bandits want to flee from the mountain, they will have no choice but to use this road, will they not? I will take this side. Great Hero Bang’s group, please take the opposite side.”
“Flee?”
Baek So-ryeong tilted her head as if she did not understand.
“I will set all of Mount Tianmu on fire.”
At the words that I would set a fire, Baek So-ryeong and Bang Du-chil’s mouths fell open.
“……If that is the case……. Even so, is there a reason to do it so urgently? At the very least, after evacuating the villagers first……”
“Did you not see the Stronghold Masters of Twin Curtain Stronghold and their key figures?”
“Pardon?”
“They did not drink a single cup of wine while the feast was going on. They probably will not drag things out for long.”
“……Even so…….”
“In addition, the time for us to attack must not pass today.”
“……Hm?”
“In any case, if you wait, the bandits will come down along the road. No matter how many people there are, if it is a narrow path, Great Hero Bang should be able to face them, yes?”
When I looked at Bang Du-chil and said that, he, with his arms crossed, opened his mouth heavily.
“Bandits are good at climbing mountains. That is why they are bandits.”
“Even bandits who are good at climbing mountains cannot climb over Flaming Mountain (the mountain where the Bull Demon King lived, whose flames never go out).”
“…….”
Golden-Faced Buddha Saber’s eyebrows rose as he was tearing into meat.
“What?”
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“Unknown people were pouring oil in every corner of Mount Tianmu.”
“Oil? Who are they?”
“Unfortunately, they were quick on their feet.”
“You damned fool!”
Golden-Faced Buddha Saber flung away the meat he had been eating.
“If you are going to bring me that kind of report, why did I even keep you standing there? I might as well have released a dog.”
“My apologies.”
One-Eyed Blood Axe, who had been watching the situation, chuckled.
“Brother Song. Is it not obvious?”
“Obvious? Do you suspect something?”
“Would it not be the work of that Jin So-un brat from the Taeul Sect?”
“That brat from earlier?”
Golden-Faced Buddha Saber tilted his head.
The brat had clearly not wanted to be hostile to Twin Curtain Stronghold.
Then for what reason would that brat be spreading oil?
“I heard the report from the fellow who first guided them in. He said that while the brat was coming up, he pretended to spill wine barrels and scattered oil along various points of the road.”
“What? Surely not.”
“Is he not thinking of setting a fire?”
“What an ungrateful bastard. I know those Orthodox Path bastards cannot be trusted, but…… he made a promise just moments ago and now stabs us in the back?”
At Golden-Faced Buddha Saber’s reaction, One-Eyed Blood Axe put on a playful expression.
“In any case, since we had gathered, we were planning to finish things quickly. We should be happier that he has even given us justification.”
“Cl, cl, what a stupid bastard. He should have simply left all the money behind and gone away.”
From the start, they had never intended to release the people they had brought from the village.
Nearly a thousand stupid bandit bastards.
Those bastards cooking meals, mending clothes, and helping with daily life?
Even a dog would laugh at that.
From the beginning, the Twin Curtain Strongholds on Mount Tianmu were structured so they could not carry on everyday life without the villagers.
But that did not mean they could pay them money either.
“I had intended to let them enjoy a reunion with their families for a while, but they are tripping over their own feet.”
“Cl, cl, cl. If anything, this is good for us. We do not have to wait an annoying day or two.”
“Everyone! Prepare yourselves!”
Golden-Faced Buddha Saber’s thunderous shout spread across the entire hill.
The bandits, who had been eating meat and drinking water instead of wine, all drew their weapons at once.
Village Chief Heo could not come to his senses because of the people standing before his eyes.
“Sang-gu!”
They had ignored his words telling them not to do anything and had prepared something.
In the end, they had brought back everyone who had been dragged away to Twin Curtain Stronghold.
Putting aside, for a moment, his fear that Twin Curtain Stronghold would harm them again, Village Chief Heo burst into tears at the sight of his son and daughter-in-law, whom he had seen for the first time in a year.
***
The hostages who came down to the village began running in the direction of their respective homes.
When the commotion at the village entrance grew louder, the people who came out after hearing the noise saw the hostages who had come down from Twin Curtain Stronghold, burst into tears, and ran toward them.
Here and there, people embraced one another and poured out tears and snot.
Village Chief Heo, the grandfather of my client, also embraced his returning child and daughter-in-law and cried like a waterfall.
“Sniff. Hic. Sob.”
Beside me, Dong-ryong was crying without even realizing it.
“Eldest Senior Brother, I truly respect you. Sob.”
Geum-pyo and Eun-ho nodded at Dong-ryong’s words.
“Yes. But for us, it starts now. Do not let down your guard.”
“You said earlier that you would set a fire. Can we catch them with that?”
“As for that……”
Just as I was about to answer the Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers, Village Chief Heo approached.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you. And I am sorry. Because the government troops and the Murim Alliance both turned away from us, even we could not trust anyone.”
Village Chief Heo’s face, as he held my hand tightly, was full of guilt.
I pulled my hand out and held his again.
“How could that be your fault, Village Chief? It is the fault of those who did not step forward for the weak.”
“…….”
Village Chief Heo crumpled his wrinkled face and looked ready to burst into tears once more.
“Now is not the time to cry, Elder.”
“That is right…… Now is the time to laugh. A feast! I will prepare a feast.”
I shook my head.
“It is not the time for a feast either.”
“Hm?”
“Could you lead the people away from here?”
“What does that mean?”
“Twin Curtain Stronghold will probably descend on this place soon.”
“Hm?”
At the words Twin Curtain Stronghold, Village Chief Heo and the villagers were startled.
“Although we paid the amount, they likely never intended to release you in the first place.”
“Th-Then what are we supposed to do? We have lived here all our lives. We cannot go elsewhere.”
“That is why I am asking you to leave the village and hide for a short while. We will handle it.”
“…….”
The eyes of Village Chief Heo and the villagers were full of distrust.
That was understandable.
Since Bang Du-chil and his party had gone to the opposite side of Mount Tianmu, only the four of us were left.
Even I would not have believed such words.
“Please take this.”
I took out the five-thousand-gold-tael promissory note I had intended to give Yang Gun-baek from inside my robe.
“……I-Is this real?”
Village Chief Heo, who was seeing a promissory note worth five thousand gold taels for the first time in his life, looked dazed.
“First, go to Hangzhou and observe the situation. If we lose, use this money to find another place to settle. If we win, use this money to buy the necessary supplies and return. Once the village begins to live again, will there not be many things you need?”
“…….”
“…….”
The villagers who had listened to my words also shut their mouths like mutes and looked at me with complicated eyes.
Their eyes seemed to have something to say.
In the end, Village Chief Heo opened his mouth.
“Why…… Why are you going this far for us? We…… have never even seen you before……”
Those who had spent their entire lives wanting to lean on someone but never having even a hill to lean against would naturally begin with suspicion when goodwill was offered to them.
I had been the same, so I knew it well.
At times like this, many words were not needed.
“Because I am different.”
“……What does that……”
“I am different from the Murim Alliance and from other martial warriors. That is all.”
“…….”
While Village Chief Heo and I were talking, Yang Gun-baek arrived running with fifty Hao Gate members.
“Young Master So-un……”
Their clothes were full of leaves and dirt stains.
They had gone to handle the matter I had requested.
“I am sorry. Twin Curtain Stronghold discovered us.”
“I see.”
I had asked them to pour oil throughout Mount Tianmu.
However, the mountain itself was very large, and because it had a structure where the lower areas could all be seen from above, it seemed things had not gone smoothly.
“I think it would be better to flee for now. Twin Curtain Stronghold is currently taking up weapons and coming down the mountain.”
At Yang Gun-baek’s words, I looked at Village Chief Heo and said,
“You heard him, yes? Please leave so we can fight freely.”
“A-All right.”
At the news that Twin Curtain Stronghold was coming down, the villagers began running all at once without even having time to pack their belongings.
“Young Master So-un, you should withdraw for now as well. I understand that you were aiming for a fire attack, but from the start, the structure is not favorable for setting all of Mount Tianmu ablaze.”
Because of Twin Curtain Stronghold’s tyranny, people had been unable to gather firewood from Mount Tianmu, so its forests were dense.
However, it had many valleys and springs.
I knew that well too.
Instead of answering, I looked up at the sky.
The clouds were moving faster and faster.
“Could you prepare fire arrows?”
“……Do you truly intend to do this?”
From the start, the oil was only a small spark.
“Yes. Today, I intend to throw all of Twin Curtain Stronghold into a pit of fire.”
“…….”
“After lighting the fire, you may return.”
“……How could I do that? When we return, let us return together.”
At my stubbornness, Yang Gun-baek eventually looked at the Hao Gate members and nodded, and they all began preparing fire arrows.
“Waaaaaaaaaah!”
It was clearly visible that those who filled the road from the mountain summit were coming down with weapons in hand.
“Fire!”
At Yang Gun-baek’s shout, fire arrows fell all over Mount Tianmu and began creating small sparks.
“Senior Brother…… Are you thinking of burning Mount Tianmu with that fire?”
“The drought has been particularly severe in this area since the year before last, especially this year.”
“Pardon?”
“And in autumn, the thing one must be most careful of is a mountain fire.”
I took out the report from the Zhejiang Province Hangzhou Branch from the library in my head.
It was the report that had troubled me terribly by leaving out the story that Bang Du-chil had saved the hostages.
But it could not be helped.
It was only natural for the subjective opinions of the person writing a report to enter it.
However, even so, there were parts where subjective opinion could not be written.
[Murim Alliance Hangzhou Branch Daily Report. Day of Gapin in the Month of Gyeongja.]
[Weather – A sudden violent northwest wind blew, causing natural mountain fires throughout Zhejiang Province.]
Whooooosh.
An ominous wind swept over the area.
It was a gale strong enough that those wearing loose martial arts uniforms were swept by the wind and could barely move a few steps.
“The oil is merely a spark.”
Black smoke began rising in wisps from the forest where the fire arrows had landed.
“But even a small spark, when it meets a strong wind, can easily burn down an entire mountain.”
The flames spread in an instant.
The forest, where only faint black smoke had been rising, transformed into a sea of fire in a single moment.
Seeing the flames spread faster than expected, Yang Gun-baek looked at me with startled eyes.
“Young Master So-un…… Surely……”
BOOM!
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!
In addition, the oil barrels Yang Gun-baek had hidden throughout Mount Tianmu caught fire, further accelerating the mountain fire.
The bandits who had been coming down along the road began hesitating at the acrid smoke that suddenly rose.
“You stupid fools, why are you hesitating?! Break through!”
At the repeated scolding, one or two bandits pushed through the smoke.
“Ugh!”
“The flames are already?”
“W-We cannot pass through this!”
However, once they passed through the smoke, enormous flames stood blocking their path.
ROOOOOAR.
“Eldest Senior Brother…… That place……”
Eun-ho, who recognized the place where the barrels that had fallen from the cart they had been moving had shattered, looked at me with disbelief.